Through four games of the 2014 season, Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray has gained 534 yards on the ground. That improbably puts Murray, who barely cracked anyone’s top 10 in preseason fantasy football rankings, on a pace for 2,136 rushing yards, a total which would break Eric Dickerson’s 30-year-old NFL record.

It’s still tremendously early, of course. We’re not even to October. Still, Murray and the Cowboys are one-fourth of the way through their season. And if the Dallas fans who’ve endured three straight 8-8 seasons and a 2-7 playoff record in the past 18 years can’t get a little irrational about Murray and the team’s 3-1 start, then what’s the point of fandom?

from the article:
There is no question of how well Murray played in 2013, and what he meant to this offense not only carrying the ball but as a receiver and blitz pickup back. In scout’s terms, Murray is a complete back and in this day and age, is one of those guys that never comes off the field. What is working against Murray is that the view of how the position is used and how it is now compensated has changed drastically over the last three seasons.

We have seen plenty of examples of highly compensated running backs, released to only be replaced by cheaper options or more than one man to handle the job. Where Murray and the Cowboys need to be smart is to find a common ground where both parties can live with the agreement. Murray would be wise to take a page out of Doug Free’s book by getting a real grasp of what the market for his position might be and work from there.

Free was more than willing to work with the club and he was able to grab two nice seasons of money for his services. I believe that Murray can work a deal with the Cowboys, but he is going to have to be realistic about the number of years and the potential money available.